The worst of the hiring slump is over in the UAE and the most in-demand skills are changing to better handle crises, according to data from LinkedIn.
"We have noticed an increase in the demand for soft skills and a higher emotional quotient [EQ]," Ali Matar, LinkedIn's head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa emerging markets, told The National.
"During a time of uncertainty, we have seen an increase in members adding critical thinking and crisis management to their skill list, as it became apparent that employees who are able to adapt quickly and be creative problem solvers are revered in an economic crisis."
The Covid-19 pandemic, declared by the World Health Organisation on March 12, devastated the global jobs market as lockdowns and travel bans adopted to contain the public health crisis disrupted livelihoods and supply chains. The labour body of the United Nations estimates that 6.7 per cent of working hours were lost globally in the second quarter of this year – the equivalent of 195 million jobs worldwide.
About half of the UAE's adult population, four million people, are members of LinkedIn, which shared its jobs and hiring data for the 12 months to the end of July with The National.
With certain sectors struck particularly hard as a result of the pandemic, LinkedIn observed a trend of professionals shifting industries, possibly for good.
Those working in the recreation and travel industry were five times more likely to apply for a job outside their field during the 12 months ending in July. In the retail sector, people were 2.1 times more likely to apply for a job in a sector other than their own.
Looking at labour statistics predating the coronavirus pandemic, LinkedIn found a gap between workers in industries with declining job opportunities – in part, due to automation – and workers with in-demand job prospects. It found that workers with in-demand jobs tend to stay in high-demand roles, even when they change jobs.
"For workers with jobs in decline, there's a negative feedback loop: the majority of career transitions they make are into another declining job," Mr Matar said.
"Today, it's all the more important to zero in on these transitions since coronavirus has put so many of the declining roles at even greater risk," he added.
In the UAE, the top three skills following the outbreak of the pandemic have been analytical skills, project management and communication, according to LinkedIn.
"Looking at millions of job postings, soft skills such as these are crucial in the current economic climate," Mr Matar said.
After the drop in the UAE’s hiring rate between the months of March to May (hiring fell to 62 per cent of last year's level in April), there has been a period of recovery as the rate began to rise again steadily in late June and July when the lockdown was lifted.
The software and IT sector saw a 44 per cent increase in the share of job postings for the period of May-July 2020 compared with the year before. To build the workforce that will carry organisations into the new digital, post-pandemic world, employers are looking for critical skills in the field of IT and technology.
Technology skills are important, but they have a shorter-than-average lifespan and it is easier than ever to acquire the skills needed, Diana Wu David, the founder of Future Proof Lab in Hong Kong and a partner at the Future Work Forum, told The National.
She said that today's workplace – and increasingly workplaces in the future – will demand interdisciplinary skills.
"Someone crunching the data now needs to know how to do some storytelling around that data. The roles are blurring," she said.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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